A STATE-LEVEL PERSPECTIVE ON BRAZIL'S PATH AHEAD: A CONVERSATION WITH GOVERNOR EDUARDO LEITE - In October, 2022, Brazilians elected their next president, Congressional representatives, and governors as part of a consequential year for Brazilian democracy. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, state governors gained a prominent voice, making it all the more imperative to include state-level and subnational perspectives to Brazil’s foreign policy debate. A rising voice in national conversations, Governor Eduardo Leite from Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, has been noted for his management of the coronavirus pandemic, his focus on Brazil’s inequality, and beyond.

How could Brazil be transformed politically, economically, and socially as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and after this year’s elections? What roles can states play, especially Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazilian domestic politics and foreign affairs in the years ahead? What are areas of common ground for the US and Brazil to deepen ties at the state-level?

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 3/10/2022